Category: Crazy Stories

The Day I Did A COVID PCR Test At Windsor Park, The National Football Stadium In Dominica🇩🇲

The Day I Did A COVID PCR Test At Windsor Park, The National Football Stadium In Dominica🇩🇲

Posted on by Jonny Blair

The Day I Did A COVID PCR Test At Windsor Park, The National Football Stadium In Dominica “Cold cold heart – hard done by you. Some things look better, baby, just passing through” – Elton John. Northern Ireland play their home matches at Windsor Park in Belfast. I’ve been watching them there for 5 decades Read more about The Day I Did A COVID PCR Test At Windsor Park, The National Football Stadium In Dominica🇩🇲[…]

21 Years Later: Sentimental Return To The Heathlands Hotel Where Once I Worked In Bournemouth England

21 Years Later: Sentimental Return To The Heathlands Hotel Where Once I Worked In Bournemouth England

Posted on by Jonny Blair

“Don’t tell me it’s not worth fighting for” – Bryan Adams. Tears drained naturally from my eyes when I heard this Bryan Adams song being sung in a bar I once worked in – 21 years later, in a hotel I once stayed in – 31 years earlier. The Heathlands Hotel in East Cliff, Bournemouth, Read more about 21 Years Later: Sentimental Return To The Heathlands Hotel Where Once I Worked In Bournemouth England[…]

Thirsty Thursdays: A Night Behind Bars At Alcotraz London (Cell Block 212)

Thirsty Thursdays: A Night In Jail⛓️‍👮‍♂️At Alcotraz Prison Bar, London, England (Cell Block 212)⚖️🏛️👨🏻‍⚖️📜🚔

Posted on by Jonny Blair

“By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young girl calling” – Pete Saint John. On a summer night as August 2025 came to a close, I embarked on yet another wild bar experience! It sio happened on the exact 18 year anniversary of this very travel blog, Don’t Stop Living. You know the drill, Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: A Night In Jail⛓️‍👮‍♂️At Alcotraz Prison Bar, London, England (Cell Block 212)⚖️🏛️👨🏻‍⚖️📜🚔[…]

Visiting The Crown Pub, Birmingham, England: Where Black Sabbath⬛🟪Played Their First Ever Gig

Posted on by Jonny Blair

“He was turned to steel in the great magnetic field. When he travelled time for the future of mankind” – Black Sabbath. I started to write this post 2 years ago when I was back backpacking in Birmingham. It’s a city I have visited over 10 times but rarely written about, except maybe a review Read more about Visiting The Crown Pub, Birmingham, England: Where Black Sabbath⬛🟪Played Their First Ever Gig[…]

The Day Bangor FC🟡🔵 Deliberately Lost 2-0 To Get Promoted To The Premier League⚽

Posted on by Jonny Blair

In 1995 Bangor FC deliberately lost their final game 2–0 away at rivals Ards in order to secure promotion to the new Premier League (NIPL, Northern Irish Premier League). If Bangor had DRAWN or WON that match, they would have been relegated to the second tier (Division One). It might seem bizarre, but that’s exactly Read more about The Day Bangor FC🟡🔵 Deliberately Lost 2-0 To Get Promoted To The Premier League⚽[…]

Backpacking in New Zealand🇳🇿: My Night As Chief At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori Village

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Long overdue then this one! Seventeen years ago this week I was backpacking in the North Island of New Zealand. Across a brace of trips to New Zealand, I have backpacked the North Island and the South Island but not yet Stewart Island. I ended up in Rotorua where I have backpacked through twice. I Read more about Backpacking in New Zealand🇳🇿: My Night As Chief At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori Village[…]

Thirsty Thursdays: My Top 5 Bars When Backpacking In North Korea

Thirsty Thursdays🍺: My Top 12 Bars When Backpacking In North Korea🇰🇵

Posted on by Jonny Blair

While North Korea is hardly world renowned as a wacaday “party country” or somewhere to get ridiculously drunk and go on pub crawls, of course there are bars and restaurants there that are open to foreigners. Anyone who believes the biased western media excrement is stupid – the country has bars and they know their Read more about Thirsty Thursdays🍺: My Top 12 Bars When Backpacking In North Korea🇰🇵[…]

Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At England's First Self-Service Bar

Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness⚫⚪☘️🍺At Autobrew England’s🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿First Self-Service Bar

Posted on by Jonny Blair

“You come in on your own and you leave on your own” – Richard Ashcroft. My latest trip back to England threw up undoubtedly more surprises than my backpacking glory days in that country. I spent a few days back in Birmingham. It’s a city I’ve been to many times of course, mostly to visit Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness⚫⚪☘️🍺At Autobrew England’s🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿First Self-Service Bar[…]

The Day I Scored A Goal At The Home Of The World's Worst International Football Team

The Day I Scored A Goal At The Home Of The World’s Worst International Football Team⚽

Posted on by Jonny Blair

“From feudal serf to spender, this wonderful world of purchase power” – Manic Street Preachers. Sark – Europe’s Last Feudal State Sark is one of the coolest and most mindblowing places I have ever backpacked to. This is a mini country with its own island(s), borders, laws, prison, pub and even an international football team. Read more about The Day I Scored A Goal At The Home Of The World’s Worst International Football Team⚽[…]

Reminiscing The 1990s: The Time Wimbledon Played Real Madrid

Reminiscing The 1990s: The Time Wimbledon Played Real Madrid

Posted on by Jonny Blair

“It’s a weird and wonderful world if you come from Wimbledon” – John Motson. Being in lockdown and not having travelled to ANY new city/town/village in 13 months now, and no new countries or even a leaval of this country (Poland) has certainly given me time to release 4 books (a fifth one is almost Read more about Reminiscing The 1990s: The Time Wimbledon Played Real Madrid[…]